Sort your settings

JavaScript is not enabled

Without JavaScript enabled forms will not work.

Keeping your child safe online is not always an easy task. New technology, regular updates or upgrades can change how things work, sometimes making it difficult to keep up.

So, to help, we have put together some simple things you can do to make your child’s online devices safer.

You can find lots more advice and information on how to keep your child safe online by visiting the Essex Safer Children’s Board website.

Top tips for internet safety

Protect your identity. Do not share personal information.
Think before you post. Once posted its no longer yours.
Check your privacy settings.
Games and Apps have age ratings for a reason.
Make use of the parental controls.

Parental controls

Parental controls are available on most online devices and services. We recommend setting these controls to what is suitable for your child before giving them any new piece of online technology, game, or application.

All online devices, games and applications are different, so we recommend you visit the manufacturer’s website for more information.

Here is a guide of how to access parental controls for some of the more popular devices.

Gaming

To set parental controls, you need your own account for the PlayStation Network and an account for your child. If you set up the child accounts, you automatically become the family manager. If someone else sets up the child accounts, they can appoint you as a ‘guardian’ to allow you to set parental controls and spending limits.

When setting parental controls, remember to adjust the system settings to prevent children from changing parental controls.

PlayStation allows you to restrict access based on a user’s account.

To do this:

Sign into account manager and select ‘family management’.
Select your child’s account and choose ‘edit’.

Here you can manage several functions, including who can manage the controls, privacy settings, monthly spending limits, play time restrictions and more.

For more information on how to ensure your child’s Playstation account settings are secure, visit the PlayStation website.

Xbox have a family settings app which allows you to control your child’s account, in real time, from your smart phone.

This includes setting screen time, managing in-game spending and approval of friend requests.

You can download from your mobile phone app store. Search ‘Xbox family settings’.

You can find out more about the Xbox family setting app on the Xbox website.

Family settings can also be accessed and changed on the console by pressing the Xbox button on the controller. Next select ‘profile and systems’, ‘settings’, ‘account’ and then ‘family settings’.

You can find more information and help about console settings and choosing the appropriate ones for your child on the Xbox website.

Parental controls can be set on the Nintendo Switch console or through the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls application for smart devices.

Parental controls are set for the console - not each individual user. The same restrictions will apply to everyone who uses the console, so they should be set with the youngest player in mind.

To access parental controls on the console:

On the home screen click ‘system settings’
Choose ‘parental controls’

To access parental patrols on your smart device (mobile phone or tablet) search ‘Nintendo Switch Parental Controls’ on the app store, and download.

Once you have set a Parental Controls PIN through the console or the app, you can enter the PIN in the future to temporarily lift Parental Controls restrictions.

The restrictions will be lifted until the next time the console enters sleep mode.

Play time limits can be set through the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls application only.

Nintendo eShop restrictions can only be set through the parent or guardian’s Nintendo Account profile settings on a PC or smart device.

For more information on how to ensure your child’s Nintendo Switch settings are secure, visit the Nintendo website.

Restrict access to shopping, downloading content, and settings on your child’s Amazon Fire device

Your parental controls password is different from your lock screen password.

Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to show Quick Settings.
Tap the Settings icon.
Tap Parental Controls.
Toggle the switch to On.
Enter and confirm your password. Make sure that you record your password.
Tap Finish.

A lock icon appears at the top of the screen when parental controls are enabled.

Enabling Parental Controls does not remove Mature or Adult-rated content from the device. You may encounter such content in apps and games, music, and books, or in Amazon store search results.

To restrict the content available on the device, you can:

Create an Amazon Kids child profile and select which apps and content are available to that profile.
Block access to content on the device (for example, apps and games, books and music) by going to 'Amazon content and apps' menu under parental controls and selecting the button next to each category to say blocked.

For more information on how to ensure your child’s Amazon Fire tablet settings are secure, visit the Amazon Parent Dashboard.

Games can also be played on a smart devices like phones and tablets. They can be played on a website or downloaded through the device's app store.

We recommend checking the settings on the smart device and within the game itself, to make sure your child is safe while playing the game, especially if it's online.

Game age ratings

All games in the UK are Pan-European Game Information or PEGI rated. This can help you understand whether the game is appropriate for your child. It does not take into consideration chat functions within the game.

Along with this age rating restriction, games also contain information on the type of content in the game, such as violence, drugs, sex, bad language, fear, and gambling. This information is shown through displaying the relevant icon.

You can find out more about game age ratings on the PEGI website.

The game contains images or descriptions of violence. For PEGI 7 games this is non-realistic and non- detailed. For PEGI 12 games this can include violence in a fantasy environment. PEGI 16 or 18 games contain more realistic looking violence.

Game has violent content

The game contains bad language from mild swearing to sexual expletives and blasphemy. The severity will depend on the PEGI rating of the game.

Game has bad language

The game contains image or sounds that might be frightening or scarry.

Game has scary or frightening content

The game contains elements that encourage or teach gambling.

Game encorages or teaches gambling

This refers to content of an explicit nature, posting or innuendos. If the nudity is of a non-sexual context, they do not require a specific age rating.

Game has sexual content

The game includes reference to illegal drugs use, alcohol or tobacco.

Game has reference to use of drugs

The game contains depictions of ethnic, religious, nationalist or other stereotypes likely to encourage hatred.

Game has discriminatory content

The game offers the option to purchase digital goods or services with real-world currency.

Game has options to purchase items in the game

Chat and message functions

In game chat, messages, and comment functions can vary from group chats to private messages. Some games allow you to turn this function off or limit who you can talk to.

These chat functions can allow strangers to talk to your child, with some games centred around the idea of building a team online to carry out tasks. It’s worth checking the features of the game before buying it for your child.

For your child we recommend turning the message function off or restricting it to friends only, so that they only chat with people they know. It’s best to check the game’s website for details on how to manage the chat function settings, as it can change for each game.

Talking to your child regularly about what they are doing online, and making it a part of your daily conversation, can help to keep them safe online.

Consider joining in when your child is playing a new game. Ask them what they like about it. It will help you understand the game, the functions and what they are doing.

In game purchasing and loot boxes

Many games give an option of purchasing in-game items such as new characters, apparel, accessories, skills, and weapons. These items are brought with real-world money.

A loot box is a mystery box of random items within a game that can be brought with real money or credits gained through playing the game.

What should I be aware of?

Game creators make the experience of opening a loot box exciting with bright graphics and fireworks. The boxes can include rare or sort-after items to encourage more spending or further game play.

The concern is that young people become captivated by the excitement of this experience, and as they get older seek the same feelings in other forms such as gambling.

What can I do?

All games in the UK have an age rating to help you understand if the game is suitable for your child. They also have information about in game purchasing or random paid items or loot boxes. These guides are there to help you make an informed decision on whether the game is appropriate for your child.

You can turn off in game, or in app, purchases or set a spending limit through the game’s settings.

Mobile phones

With content and privacy restrictions in screen time, you can block or limit specific apps and features on your or your child's device. You can also restrict the settings on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch for explicit content, purchases and downloads, and privacy.

To set up parental controls on devices that use an iPhone Operating System (iOS), go to:

Go to Settings and tap Screen Time.
Tap Turn on Screen Time, then tap it again. Choose "This is My [Device]" or "This is My Child's [Device]".

For your device

If you're the parent or guardian on your device and want to prevent another family member from changing your settings, tap ‘Use Screen Time Passcode’ to create a passcode, then re-enter the passcode to confirm.

After you've confirmed your passcode, you'll be asked to enter your Apple ID and password. This can be used to reset your Screen Time passcode if you forget it.

For your child’s device

If you're setting up Screen Time on your child's device, follow the prompts until you get to ‘Screen Time Passcode’ and enter a passcode.

Re-enter the passcode to confirm. After you've confirmed your passcode you'll be asked to enter your Apple ID and password. This can be used to reset your Screen Time passcode if you forget it.

Tap 'content and privacy restrictions'. If asked, enter your passcode, then turn on content and privacy restrictions.

Make sure you choose a passcode that's different from the passcode you use to unlock your device.

For more information on how to ensure your child’s iOS device settings are secure, visit the Apple website.

When you put parental controls on an Android device, you can restrict what content can be downloaded or purchased from Google Play on that device based on maturity level. However, purchase approval settings will only apply to purchases made through Google Play’s billing system.

Parental controls don't prevent restricted content as a search result or through a direct link.

Parental controls only apply to the Android device you added them on. To put parental controls on another device, repeat the steps below on the other devices.

If you have multiple users on a device, you can set up different parental controls for each person.

The person who sets up parental controls will create a PIN that needs to be entered to remove or change the parental controls.

Open the Google Play app Google Play.
At the top right, tap the profile icon.
Tap Settings and then Family and then Parental controls.
Turn on Parental controls.
To protect parental controls, create a PIN your child doesn't know.
Select the type of content you want to filter.
Choose how to filter or restrict access.

For more information on how to ensure your child’s Android device settings are secure, visit the Google Play website.

Social media

Social media has become a part of our every day lives. It’s a great way to say in touch with family and friends, find out what’s going on in your community, keep up to date with the latest news or learn something new.

However, we can be easily affected by what we see on social media, therefore when it comes to young people, it’s important that we support them in ensuring their social media habits are healthy.

Each social media platform has its own privacy settings which you should check to make sure they are right for your child. They include things like the ability to set a social media account to private, prevent friend requests from people you or your child don’t know, and hide the location of the device from others.

We’ve put together some information to help you in choosing the right social media platforms and settings for your child.

Most social media platforms come with an age restriction, where the user has to be at least 13 years old.

Lots of young people get around this restriction by providing a false date of birth when signing up. But in doing this, they are more likely to be exposed to content inappropriate for their age. They could also lose some of the additional protections put in place by the platform for those under the age of 18.

The following social media platforms have a minimum age restriction of 13:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Snapchat
TikTok
Discord
Twitch

YouTube has a minimum age restriction of 18 years old. However, the organisation also offer YouTube Kids, which has content more suitable for children and parental controls available.

WhatsApp has a minimum age restriction of 16 years.

Many social media platforms give the option to share your location when posting, or the ability to ‘check in’ to a place.

If settings aren’t private on your child’s device, then anyone can see where your child is or has been, including people you or your child don’t know.

Each social media platform will have its own way of managing your location settings. You can usually find these under settings and privacy.

Snapchat location settings example

To check or change your location setting for Snapchat:

Go to settings in Snapchat
Scroll down to ‘who can see my location'
Select the appropriate settings.

TikTok location settings example

In the TikTok app, go to 'profile' at the bottom.
Select the menu button at the top.
Choose settings and privacy.
Tap Privacy, then tap Location Services.
Choose a location access permission for TikTok.

More advice and information

Online child abuse

Top tips for internet safety